Mixed feelings after Rautmann's dismissal

Date: 24 October 2003 By: Frank Mavhungu

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THOHOYANDOU – The dismissal of the Black Leopards coach, Mr Walter Rautmann, has ignited mixed feelings from the local soccer fans. Rautmann was suspended with full pay three weeks ago, pending investigations into his conduct.

His case was finally laid to rest during a disciplinary hearing, which was held last Thursday evening. During the meeting Mr Rautmann was found guilty of bringing the club and the sponsors into disrepute, in that he publicly accused the management of the team of interfering with his job.

The Austrian-born coach confirmed his dismissal and refused to comment further, saying he still must sit down with his legal advisors to shape the way forward. As a temporary measure, Rautmann's assistant, Mr David Buyne, has been appointed as the caretaker-coach until such time that they hire the "right man for the top job."

Some of the people who were randomly interviewed by Mirror this week supported the move taken by the management of the club. According to them, Rautmann's dismissal was justified, saying the man was becoming "big-headed."

"How can an employee accuse his employers of interfering with his job? The job was not his but his employers' " they argued. They stated that Rautmann should have kept his mouth shut, as he would still get his full pay at the end of the month, despite the poor results.

Others have severely criticized the move, saying Rautmann's conduct was not worth dismissal. They said the advantages of keeping him by far overweighed the disadvantages. They indicated that Rautmann had saved the team from relegation last season, apart from the fact that he had found a winning combination at the time of his dismissal.

According to them, the coach should have been warned, instead of firing him. Raumann guided Black Leopards to two victories, two defeats and two draws this season. Lidoda Duvha are currently lying in the ninth spot, with eight points gained from six outings.

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Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990. He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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